The Event

• No.6 Dordt University women's cross country team will compete in the final meet of the regular season, the Mount Marty Invite, on Thursday afternoon (Oct.23)
• the 6K race will take place at the Fox Run Golf Course (600 W. 27^th St., Yankton, SD. 57078 - located off Hwy. 81 on the north side of Yankton, SD.)

Meet Information

• Distance: 6000m
• start times:
  • 4:00pm
• Live Results (Dakota Timing)

Teams Competing

• a total of five teams will be competing on Thursday
• NAIA teams:
  • #6 Dordt
  • Mount Marty
  • Northwestern
• NCAA teams:
  • (RV) Augustana (S.D.) - D-II
  • South Dakota State (S.D.) - D-I

Defender Notes

• Last Time Out:
  • Dordt finished as the top NAIA team at its second home meet, the Holiday Inn Invite, on Oct.11
  • the Defenders finished behind Minnesota State and South Dakota State and well ahead of the closest NAIA team, 21st-ranked Benedictine
  • seven Dordt runners finished in the top 20 in the Gold Division, led by Joy Koole (4th) and Addy Liston (7th)
  • four Defenders, Corinne Braun, Isabella Webb, Hannah Thong and Addy Crow, placed 15th - 18th and were separated by less than a second
  • Dordt won the team title and had five runners in the top 10 in the Black Division
  • Jenna Hursh finished as the runner-up and ran a personal-best time
  • 30 Defenders ran a personal best
  • 16 Dordt runners turned in their best finish
• In the Rankings
  • Dordt moved up three spots to sixth in the NAIA Coaches poll, its highest ranking of the season
  • they began the season ranked ninth in the preseason poll and moved up to eighth in the Sept.25 edition
  • Dordt has appeared in the preseason coaches' poll every season since 2011
  • the Defenders have been ranked in the top 25 in 100 consecutive polls, the longest current streak in the NAIA
    • during this streak, Dordt has been ranked in the top 10 70 times
  • Dordt was picked to win the conference title based on the GPAC preseason coaches' poll released earlier this season
• GPAC Success
  • Dordt has won five consecutive GPAC titles (2020-24), all under the direction of current head coach Nate Wolf
  • the Defenders have won seven of the last eight, 11 of the last 13, conference titles
• National Success
  • Dordt has qualified for the NAIA National Championship 13 consecutive seasons (since 2011)
  • the Defenders finished among the top 10 at the NAIA National Championship eight times, including four of the last five seasons
• Schedule Outlook:
  • this is the fifth and final meet of the regular season
  • the NAIA Championship returns to Tallahassee, Fla. and will be held at the Apalachee Regional Park on Nov.21
  • the GPAC Championship will be held at the Mahoney State Park near Ashland, Neb. on Nov.8
• Coaching Staff
  • Nate Wolf returns for his 11th season as the head of the Dordt Cross Country program
  • Wolf was named the GPAC Coach of the Year in 2024, the 8th time he earned the league's top honor
    • 1st season - 2015
  • Jesse Veenstra and Emilee Heynen round out the Defenders coaching staff
• Other Notes:
  • two Dordt runners, Hannah Thong and Joy Koole (2x), received GPAC Runner of the Week honors this season
  • Joy Koole has the No.1 time in the GPAC this season
  • eight Dordt runners currently rank in the top 10 of fastest 6K times in the GPAC this season
    • Joy Koole - 1st
    • Addy Liston - 2nd
    • Corinne Braun - 4th
    • Isabella Webb - 5th
    • Hannah Thong - 6th
    • Addy Crow - 7th
    • Jaci Burtis - 8th
    • Jessica Opfer - 10th
  • six additional Defenders rank in the top 20 in the GPAC
    • Jenna Hursh - 11th
    • Molly Mulder - 12th
    • Jada Koerner - 14th
    • Jeni Burtis - 15th
    • Courtney Joiner - 16th
    • Elyse Zwart - 18th
  • Dordt has finished among the top five teams in every meet this year
  • the Defenders won their first home meet, Sunflower Open, on Sept.13
  • Koole leads the Defenders with three top 10's this season
  • Hursh, Liston and Webb all have two top 10's this season
  • Opfer leads the Defenders with six career top 10's, followed by Braun (5), and Webb (5)